battery cableing

freddy063

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 26, 2007
Messages
568
Reaction score
31
Points
28
Location
Maine
when I put the battery back in this year, I think I miss placed a cable that goes from accy battery to the motor two battery. Can anyone tell me on a 3 battery system is there a cable going from the accy battery to one of the motor battery POS post for charging? my accy battery keep going down and I can't see any way it can get charged without a connection to one of the motors. thanks I guess i'm starting to forget things. :shock:
 

Hookup1

GreatGrady Captain
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,065
Reaction score
871
Points
113
Age
70
Location
Cape May, NJ
Model
Islander
Battery

On my boat the charging wire from the engine is connected to the house battery switch. I had a problem charging last year because I forgot to connect the negative lead from the engines to the house batteries.
 

Fishermanbb

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 31, 2005
Messages
471
Reaction score
58
Points
28
Location
Long Island, NY
There are several different ways to set this up and hopefully someone with you exact same set-up can chime in. However, the short answer is yes. Unless your accessory battery is connected to it's own charger that runs off of a generator or dockside power it needs to be re-charged through one of the engines recharging system.

What leads are connected to it now.

Typically the system would have one motor lead (Positive) to the engine two battery.

The negative motor lead would be connected to the accessory battery negative terminal.

There would be a jumper lead from the negative terminal of the accessory battery to the negative terminal of the engine battery.

There would be a jumper lead from the positive terminal of the engine battery to the positive terminal of the accessory battery.

This set-up isolates battery one (Engine) from everything else so the accessories cannot drain it. However, engine 2 and the accessory (House) battery are wired parallel.

You need to follow all of the leads to see how it is wired because there are several different solutions to a 3 batt. system. As stated above, the charging lead could come off one of the batteries to the accessory battery switch (Assuming you have one). Star by isolating the battery 1 circuit. Then follow Batt. 2. GW usually wires the house to Batt. 1 so you may find the lead you are looking for there. Aftermarket set-ups can be wired any number of ways. Trace each circuit and you will find you missing lead.
 

Hookup1

GreatGrady Captain
Joined
Oct 16, 2007
Messages
3,065
Reaction score
871
Points
113
Age
70
Location
Cape May, NJ
Model
Islander
There would be a jumper lead from the positive terminal of the engine battery to the positive terminal of the accessory battery.

If you do this you are paralleling the batteries and the house load will also discharge the engine battery.

Typically the engines have two isolated charging circuit. The starting battery will charge thru the starting cables. A seperate wire connects to the house battery. In my case it is connected to the battery switch.